Of Friendship, Lust and Love (Title Subject to Change)
by whenthesnowleopardmeetsthehare
Summary: A young, socially-deprived werewolf attends Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he meets some new friends and finds love along the way. High school isn't easy, but it sure is fun, especially with the Marauders around. Summaries aren't my strong point, especially when I don't know where this is going. Eventual RL/SB. Rated T although nothing inappropriate as of yet.
1. Chapter 1

**Oh dear, it looks like I'm back. I haven't written anything since the last time I updated, excluding a required short story, so I'm a little rusty, but hopefully a little improved too? I just felt like writing (procrastinating) yesterday, and look what has happened! I don't have a clue where this is going yet, and I know that updates will likely be irregular and infrequent, so I'll apologise in advance. Thank you for reading this though!**

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Remus Lupin sighed, brushing the sandy-blonde hair from eyes his with a simple sweep of his long, delicate fingers. "I'm going to be fine, Mum," he muttered, as his mother panicked once again. What if someone found out? What if a transformation went wrong? What if Dumbledore changed his mind?

Life as a lycanthrope was certainly not easy at the best of times, but when heading for his first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry the stress was clear. Remus himself was terrified, but he was determined not to show it. He would get onto the train confidently, cheerily wave goodbye to his parents and then, and only then, would he allow himself to worry. If he lost his composure now, his parents would never let him go. Ever. And if there was one thing Remus Lupin was going to do, it was attend Hogwarts.

Hogwarts itself fascinated him: the grandeur, the food, the classes, the people. Since the age of six, when he had been bitten, Remus had often found himself isolated from other children growing up. At first it was only for a few days around the full moon, and then he had stopped being allowed to play with the other children after school, and finally he had been pulled out of the local village school altogether. Life ever since had been awfully lonely for the young boy, but this was his chance to finally have some friends again.

Remus missed his old friends of course, especially Dennis - a muggle boy of his age from a few farms over. From the age of three the two had been inseparable, spending every evening playing together in the forestry surrounding the village. Of course, that had stopped too, and Remus had been left alone. Remus had hated being alone, and had cried and pleaded for hours on end when he was withdrawn from school, however it hadn't changed his parents' minds. Looking back on the situation, Remus understood why his parents had felt it necessary to pull him out of school, and he didn't resent them for it. However, he was determined to ensure that he would not be spending his Hogwarts years alone.

He was aware of the risks of making friends, and knew he would have to be cautious in order to keep his "furry little problem" - as his parents called it - a secret, but the thought of having friends made it worth it in the end. They could stay up until the early hours talking, they could play Quidditch, they could explore the colossal castle that they would call home for the next seven years. The prospect made Remus giddy, though he had to keep his calm. He had to make sure his parents didn't change their mind now, he just had to.

"Now Remus, are you sure you'll be fine?" His mother as a muggle had never been to Hogwarts, so the thought of sending her only son to such a foreign place terrified her. Her experience with a boggart many years before still haunted her, although she now understood that there were good sides to the magical world too. She just wasn't sure of how she felt in exposing her son to them.

Remus sighed rather audibly, "Mum, I'll be fine, now we need to go or we'll be late!" Remus grabbed his father's hand, as well as his trunk and pet-carrier, and his mother took his father's other hand. Within seconds, they had apparated away from their quiet country home and found themselves in the bustling centre of London.

Remus had only been to London twice. Once when he was five - before the incident. The second time was when he went to Diagon Alley, although they had used Floo Powder to arrive straight in The Leaky Cauldron. Even with his lycanthropy, the healers had always come to him, perhaps because they were scared to let such a "dangerous creature" into London. Remus was aware that he was viewed as a danger to everyone, but he didn't feel like one. He just felt like an ordinary eleven year old boy - or as ordinary as a wizard could be at least.

Remus stared curiously at the people dressed in suits rushing by, each headed to their own destination. A loud whistle nearby startled him, as his hearing was heightened, though it was only a train pulling into the station. He realised that they were right outside of Kings' Cross Station, which was where the Hogwarts Express left from. "Come on!" he urged, desperate to get a glimpse of the train which would take him to his freedom. He dragged his parents behind him, desperately searching for Platform 9 3/4.

Platform 7...Platform 8...Platform 9...Platform 10? Where was Platform 9 3/4? Remus was confused, perhaps they were at the wrong station. Surely his ticket couldn't have the wrong platform? He was so close to Hogwarts, he couldn't not go now. Where was the platform?!

"Dad, where is the platform? Why isn't it here?" Remus gushed, trying to keep calm.

"Relax son, it's okay. The platform is hidden, but just trust me on this one, okay?" his dad replied, before heading straight for the wall between platforms 9 and 10, Remus' trunk in tow. Remus panicked, thinking his dad had suddenly lost his mind. He seemed fine a moment before, what could have happened?

"DAD! STOP!" Remus called out, although as soon as he had finished both his dad and trunk disappeared! Remus' mind was boggled, his dad had run straight at a wall and then disappeared? Remus' mum looked equally as confused - clearly she had no idea what was going on either. Some people in the station had turned to look at Remus, and he blushed, embarrassed by his outburst.

"Should we just copy your father?" Remus' mother asked uncertainly. Remus nodded slowly, trying to take everything in. The pair held hands, and then ran straight for the wall. Remus closed his eyes, preparing for the impact of hitting the wall, but it didn't come.

When Remus opened his eyes, he was somewhere completely different. A new platform, definitely not the one in the station. A large sign above his head read "Platform 9 3/4", and Remus smiled. They had arrived.

In front of him stood his dad, trunk in tow, with a cheesy grin across his face. "Sorry, Bud, had to let you experience that firsthand. It's always better to be taken by surprise the first time." Remus' mum tried glare, but ended up laughing and hitting her husband's arm playfully.

"So magic can do that?" Remus asked, confused. After the incident, his father rarely used magic. In fact, his father often pretended that he was a muggle, trying to forget all aspects of the wizarding world completely. Remus was shocked when he first learned of Hogwarts on his eleventh birthday earlier that year, and even more shocked when he learned that he, a werewolf, could attend.

At first, his parents didn't seem keen, but Albus Dumbledore, the school's kindly headmaster, had met with them several times. After several of these meetings, and various precautions being put in place, they had finally agreed to let Remus attend. Remus was thrilled - he was just so excited to get away from the tiny farm they lived on and meet new people - to have a chance to experience life. His parents had been preparing him ever since, although he still had almost no idea about the true capabilities of magic, which was why he was so surprised by the barrier.

In front of him stood the scarlet steam engine known as the Hogwarts Express, his ticket to Hogwarts, clouds of steam bellowing out from the top. The spotless engine gleamed in the morning sunlight, giving it a heavenly glow. It seemed fairly appropriate to the young werewolf. Remus wanted to run aboard immediately before anyone could stop him, although he knew that these final moments were crucial. He had to reassure his parents that he could do this, that he could finally attend a school again.

The goodbye itself was fairly awkward - his father was quiet, his mother tried not to cry, he wanted to leave as soon as possible. It wasn't as though he wouldn't miss them - he would - but the excitement was overpowering by this point. He still couldn't believe this day was actually here. From only discovering Hogwarts seven months previously, to pleading to go yet never expecting to, to shopping for school supplies, to actually being here. The experience didn't feel real, and Remus had to remind himself that this was really happening every few minutes.

There was a quick hug, and his mother whispered in his ear about how proud she was of him, of how well she knew he would do. He had expected more warnings and advice, but his mother didn't seem to have the heart. His father just smiled, before helping him onto the train with his trunk. "You'll do great, Bud."

Remus stood by the window and waited for the train to pull away. He jumped slightly when it eventually did, but happily waved goodbye to his parents, promising to write soon. Remus kept his calm, ensuring that his parents wouldn't worry about him, ensuring his place at Hogwarts was safe. Once they were out of sight, he trailed down the corridor in search of an empty compartment. Students were everywhere, crammed into compartments on all sides, chattering rapidly, squawking like a flock of birds. Remus passed meekly - although he intended to find friends, he had decided that the time wasn't quite yet.

After finding an empty compartment, he flopped down onto the nearest seat - exhausted. He had done it, he was finally heading there. Remus Lupin was going to Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thank you for reviewing! This chapter has a curse word a few chapters in - just a warning. Also, the scene with Lily and Snape is adapted from The Prince's Tale in The Deathly Hallows, with the dialogue taken straight from the book, so isn't original at all. Just putting that out there!**

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The carriage was quiet - silent almost, except Remus' breathing. He watched the countryside fly past outside, the greens of the trees and grass blurring together. The entire morning so far felt almost like a blur to him, and he couldn't believe he was really on The Hogwarts Express. As stupid as it made him feel, Remus pinched his arm just to be sure that he was here. It hurt, and he didn't wake up, so he assumed it he was safe. He really was going to school!

Remus pulled a book from his bag, _Murder on the Orient Express_ - he had felt the setting suited his current surroundings, although he did hope that the plot certainly didn't. He had a habit to choose "inappropriate books" as his mother had repeatedly told him, but the lycanthrope always shrugged it off. He was rarely bothered by the content, he faced much worse every full moon anyway. There was very little that could faze Remus by now - he was his own worst nightmare after all.

Today wasn't the day to dwell on that though, Remus told himself, he should try to enjoy today. It was his first day of freedom - or the closest he would ever get to freedom. Of course, the ministry would keep strict tabs on him this year, there was no way they would ever let a werewolf enter Hogwarts unmonitored! Although, Remus knew he shouldn't complain, being the only werewolf ever to actually attend Hogwarts - not that most of them would want to anyway. Most werewolves were wild, ferocious creatures even when the moon wasn't full - including Fenrir Greyback. Even the thought of his name made Remus shudder, the man terrified him. He was perhaps the only thing which rivalled himself in terms of his biggest fear, although Remus was pretty confident that not even a monster like Greyback could truly rival his fear of himself. Although a mere eleven, Remus already valued the lives of others above his own - until now, his own had been barely worth living anyway. Dumbledore had changed that of course, given him a chance to obtain a life worth living.

Remus knew he should try to put these thoughts to the back of his mind, but the more he tried to ignore them, the stronger the urge to think them became. He didn't belong here, he wasn't like the others, it was a mistake to come here. He was filth, a horrible, rabid creature who didn't deserve education. He was a piece of shit who would hurt everyone around him, he could kill them if something went wrong. And yet he was selfish enough to come anyway? All because he - an animal - wanted a slightly better life? He couldn't stay, he just couldn't. As soon as they arrived, Remus was going to tell Dumbledore that he had made a mistake in coming and return to the family farm. He was sure that life as a farmer wouldn't be so bad anyway - he could grow crops and keep livestock for a living. A few renovations and everything would be good to go. Of course, the farm wasn't in use at the moment, but Remus wouldn't be allowed to work with the public, so he had no choice. He just had to go home, he shouldn't have come.

Tears rolled down Remus' cheeks, one by one, splashing the pages of the book on his lap. They pooled, but Remus took no notice. He couldn't stay, he knew he couldn't. Remus shook violently, rocking back and forth. He was an idiot, thinking that a werewolf could really go to Hogwarts, of course he couldn't! Why did he let Dumbledore convince him otherwise? He had got his hopes up for once - a mistake, werewolves couldn't afford to have hopes. Werewolves weren't worthy of hopes.

The compartment door slid open with a violent "THUD!" and three boys swaggered in. Remus attempted to hide his tears - his stupid, weak, pathetic tears - but he wasn't fast enough. Their jolly laughing stopped immediately, and they glanced at each other. One of them, a boy with shaggy dark hair arranged around his face rather like a lion's mane caught his eye, "What's wrong mate?" Remus tried to shrug it off, but another - this one with shorter dark hair and glasses - was watching him too. The third, a timid-looking boy with dirty blonde hair, was staring awkwardly at his feet, an uncomfortable expression on his face. "It's okay, we're not going to laugh at you," the boy with the glasses told him, a genuine smile on his face.

Remus panicked, he couldn't tell them why he had been crying, he just knew he couldn't! He had sworn not to tell anyone, and even if he hadn't, he wouldn't want to. He wouldn't want these boys to abandon him, looks of disgust thrown in his direction. They might seem genuine, but if they knew the truth about him, Remus knew they would quickly turn on him.

In an instant, he made a decision. He had been given an excuse to use in order to explain his absences during his transformations, so he might as well bring it into play a little early. "I'm just w-worried..." he began, quivering his voice slightly, "About my m-mum, she's a muggle you s-see, and very s-sick. I'm just worried that I won't s-see her again, s-she took a b-b-bad turn recently..." He trailed off, trying to keep calm and look upset. The faces of the other boys fell, and they looked at him sympathetically. Remus felt a stab in his heart - he felt awful about lying to them. They seemed so genuinely concerned for him, someone they didn't even know, and he was spinning his web of lies already.

"I'm so sorry mate," the lion said to him, and smiled sadly.

"It's o-okay, although c-can we p-pretend we didn't talk about t-this? I'd rather just d-drop it?" Remus told them, desperate to end the conversation. The other nodded.

"We promise to never bring it up again, unless you want to talk about it, deal?" the boy with the glasses said. Remus nodded, and smiled weakly.

"If you ever need to talk to any of us, even if we're in a different house from you, then feel free. _Even_ if you're in Slytherin," said the lion once again, "I'm Sirius by the way."

"Remus Lupin," he replied, and reached out to shake Sirius' hand. The boy with the glasses turned out to be called James Potter, and the other boy who hadn't said a word until this point introduced himself as Peter Pettigrew in a nervous whisper. Remus tried to put the thought of leaving Hogwarts from his mind, as there was no use worrying about it now. Instead, he told himself that he would keep himself to himself for the rest of the journey, then sort it out.

At first, he did, half-listening to the antics of the other three boys, mainly James and Sirius, and half-reading his book. It wasn't until the Honeydukes Express came along the corridor and James announced that they would "take the lot" that Remus joined in with the conversation a little more. Remus had always been a little too much of a chocoholic, so the promise of free chocolate was not one he refused. And of course, you couldn't just eat someone's chocolate without conversing.

Soon Remus found himself talking and laughing along with the others, and the thoughts of leaving Hogwarts began to disappear. He didn't want to leave, as selfish as that was, he wanted a chance to have some fun for once. James and Sirius still domineered in the conversations the group had, although both Remus and Peter had started joining in more frequently. James and Sirius were both purebloods, though neither seemed bothered about blood status. Peter was a half-blood, although both of his parents were magical. Remus of course had a wizard father but a muggle mother, making him too a half-blood. Both James and Sirius seemed to have a mischievous streak, and Remus felt himself loosening up around them. He was laughing more often than usual and found himself feeling a lot happier - he was even forgetting about his furry little problem as he was so engrossed in the stories they were telling. Both James and Sirius had owls with them, and the two birds hooted contently at all of the laughter. Remus' cat flicked her eyes open and hissed, looking less amused at the prospect of being woken up. The boys laughed at her and she hissed once more before closing her eyes again.

Around an hour later, a redheaded girl raced through the compartment down and threw herself down beside the window without a word. The boys looked at her curiously, but she didn't seem to be the type for conversation. "Are you okay?" Remus asked, as the others looked on concerned, but she just ignored them. The four continued talking, glancing subtly at the girl every so often. Apart from a few sniffles she stayed quiet, pressed up against the window.

Remus was particularly concerned, especially after how he had felt earlier, and frequently tried to get her attention to no avail. Eventually, she turned around briefly and gave him a fleeting smile before shaking her head. Her emerald green eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and her cheeks were stained from the tears that had run down them. Remus reached into his pocket, retrieved a tissue and handed it to her wordlessly. She smiled gratefully and took it, wiped her eyes and passed it back. She returned to staring out of the window wordlessly, although this time the sniffling had stopped.

All four boys felt awful at leaving her alone, but the redhead did not seem keen to talk, so eventually they grew used to her presence and carried on, determined not to spoil their first journey to Hogwarts. Remus was especially glad for his company's happy outlook as he didn't want his mood to deteriorate again.

For a while the compartment stayed like that, the four boys chattering away loudly, and the silent girl staring out of the window. Eventually, a greasy haired boy of around their age entered the compartment, ignored the four boys and sat down directly opposite the girl. The girl looked up, caught his eye and looked away again quickly.

"I don't want to talk to you," she told him, her words slow and cautious. It was the first time Remus had heard her talk, and he felt like her voice was missing a gentle, melodic sound. The other boy's face fell, and everyone else in the compartment fell silent - listening.

"Why not?" he asked her dejectedly.

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore." the girl blurted out, trying to hold back tears. Remus had no idea who "Tuney" was, but whoever they were, they seemed important to Lily. And a letter from Dumbledore? Clearly the girl was not an average student at Hogwarts either, though Remus had no idea what exactly made her different. Though perhaps it was best that way, since he wouldn't like anyone knowing what made him stand out.

The boy's expressed remained unchanged, "So what?"

Hurt flashed across the girl's face, but she quickly hid it with a scowl. "So she's my sister!" The girl burst into tears again, violent sobs taking over her body. She convulsed in her seat, but the boy made no move to comfort her. Remus reached out, but withdrew his hand quickly after Sirius' sharply shook his head. He supposed this wasn't his business really, so he should stay out. It would probably make life a little simpler, though he felt bad about leaving the girl alone.

"She's only a-" the greasy haired boy began quietly, but stopped mid-sentence. Remus wondering what exactly her sister was, but he wasn't about to find out. Lily did not seem to catch what he had said, as she was too busy fumbling with the sleeve of her top in an attempt to dry her eyes. Remus passed her another tissue wordlessly, and she took it without turning around. "But we're going! This is it! We're off the Hogwarts!"

The boy sounded excited, and the girl perked up a little, nodding her head slowly. She smiled a little, and the boy looked relieved.

"You'd better be in Slytherin!" the boy told her eagerly, seeming glad that she had come around a little.

"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" butted in James, directing his question at Sirius. Remus knew James was only trying to lighten the mood a little, but he had picked the wrong time and wrong joke to do so. As much as he meant well, Remus wished that James would just shut up.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," Sirius told him seriously. He didn't laugh for once, and this was the first time Remus had seen him so serious in the short time they had known each other.

"Blimey," said James, "And I thought you seemed alright!"

Sirius laughed, "Maybe I'll break the tradition! Where are you headed if you've got the choice?"

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. Like my dad," James told him, pretending to wield a sword. Remus grinned, and wondering which house he belonged in. He wasn't too sure that he would fit in any of them, perhaps they wouldn't even sort a werewolf? Surely not though, after Dumbledore had promised that he could attend...

The greasy-haired boy snorted, and James whipped around, "Got a problem with that?"

"No," the boy sneered, "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-"

"Where're you hoping to go seeing as you're neither?" interjected Sirius cheekily. James laughed aloud, and Remus grinned. Remus knew they shouldn't get into an argument, but at the same time, Sirius _was_ awfully funny.

The girl glared at the pair, "Come on Severus, let's find another compartment." She got up, and so did Severus, and the two headed out. The redhead flashed a smile at Remus, as if to thank him for the tissues, before leaving. James tried to trip Severus up as he walked by, which Remus felt was a little too far, but he stayed quiet anyway.

After they had left, the next hour or so was spent discussing them, and doing many impersonations of Severus. Remus felt a little guilty laughing, but he did so all the while. After all, James had only meant to lighten the mood and Severus had taken it personally, right? It was their fault, although he supposed that the tripping up of Severus was a little too far. Remus wondering what the girl was called, as he hadn't caught her name. He hoped that she was okay and that her sister didn't really hate her. He wished that he knew where she had went, just so he could go and check up on her. He didn't though, instead he spent the rest of the journey laughing with the others, eager to reach Hogwarts.

However selfish he was being, Remus knew in his heart that there was no way he was ever leaving Hogwarts voluntarily. Never.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm not sure how I feel about this story so far, but we'll see where things go I suppose. Thank you for reading it so far anyway!**

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The train's brakes screeched, drawing the carriages to a halt, and within seconds older students had opened their doors and were barging down the narrow corridor. The crowded corridor was noisy, a buzz of chatter and laughter floating around, and none of the four boys seemed keen to join the throng of people who were pushing each other rather roughly in an attempt to escape into the cool night air. Peter looked pale, and even the cocky James and Sirius looked a little worried about the prospect of forcing their way through the taller students. Of course, they too were probably worried about the sorting ceremony which was yet to come, though none of the four mentioned it. Remus desperately hoped that they were all in the same house, as the other boys were easy to get along with. He knew that it was unlikely, but he still clung to his hopes. He already felt at ease with them, even if deep down he knew that they would hate the real Remus - the nasty, vicious beast that was unleashed once every month.

Eventually, the crowd died down a bit, and the group of first years ploughed their way into the corridor, trying to stay together. Remus almost tripped over his long robes, but caught himself just in time to avoid flying into Sirius' back - for which he was grateful. Eventually, he struggled off the train and onto the platform, and upon looking around felt foolish as they seemed to be the only ones with luggage. He wondered where everyone else's was, although he wasn't left in the dark for long, as an older student informed that the luggage was brought up to the castle separately. He told them that he was a prefect, so he would take care of their belongings for now, and to look for "Hagrid" who was apparently "hard to miss".

Remus looked around, confused about how they would identify someone so easily on the busy platform, but it was then that he heard a deafening call, "Firs' Years, over 'ere!" The man who had called towered above everyone else on the platform, but looked friendly enough. His face was partially obscured by shaggy dark hair and a long beard, although his beaming smile was still clear.

"I take it we've to go over there then," Sirius said in a casual tone, trying to hide his fear. Remus expected that he was afraid of being sorted into Slytherin "like the rest of his family", but he decided that now wasn't the time to bring it up.

"D-d-do you t-think he's a g-g-giant?" Peter stuttered nervously as he eyed the man. James laughed and shook his head.

"Giants are much taller than that - the average giant stands at around 20 feet. Besides, they usually live in the mountains," Remus told him, as he had already read through all of the textbooks for this year in his excitement upon learning he would be attending Hogwarts.

The boys waded through the crowd to reach the man, who introduced himself as Hagrid once a fair number of nervous-looking children had gathered. The group stood on the platform, allowing it to slowly drain of anyone who wasn't a first year. Every so often, Hagrid would call out again, causing everyone to cover their ears, and another few first years would trail over.

Eventually, the platform was empty except from the group, and Hagrid decided it was as good a time as any to set off. The first years followed behind in clusters, and Remus caught sight of Lily and Severus slightly ahead of him. He decided it would be wise not to point this out to James and Sirius, so the four travelled in silence - each consumed by his own thoughts. The group was heading down a narrow path surrounded by tall trees which blocked out the stars, relieving Remus from the moon's gaze momentarily, much to his relief. He hated how aware he always was of its presence, especially shortly before a full moon.

The little group rounded a corner at the edge of the trees, and for the first time they looked up to see Hogwarts itself. The colossal castle sat high upon a hill, surrounded by a vast black lake. There seemed to be towers jutting out all over the place, and it appeared that the full building was lit by candlelight. Many of the first years couldn't contain a gasp, including both Remus and Peter. This was going to be his home for the next few years, Remus realised as he took in the beauty of the castle. He couldn't believe how lucky he really was.

"Alrigh', let's get in the boats. Four to a boat!" Hagrid yelled as he climbed into a boat himself. For the first time, Remus looked away from the castle, and noticed a little line of boats in front of them. James and Sirius darted forwards, racing to get into the boat first. As they fought to clamber in, the pair toppled off the boat's edge and into the shallows of the lake. Everyone was staring at them, while Hagrid just laughed. "That's enough boys," he told them eventually once he had composed himself. The two leapt out of the water and into the boat, laughing loudly as they did so.

Remus and Peter wandered over to the boat containing their friends, eyes glued to the castle once more. They were just in time to hear James telling another two boys that they couldn't sit in this boat, since their friends were sitting there instead. The two boys looked a little disappointed, but headed to another boat anyway. Remus felt bad for them, but he also felt a little swell of pride that James already considered him his friend.

The other two boys clambered into the boat, far more carefully than their friends, and settled down. Remus took the seat beside Sirius, leaving the seat opposite him for Peter. Both James and Sirius were covered in water and shivering, but smiling none the less. "You must be freezing!" Remus said, and Sirius just grinned.

Once his teeth chattering started, Remus felt awful for Sirius, even if it was his own fault that he was cold. He took off his cloak and passed it to Sirius, who looked surprised. "You need it more than I do," Remus told him and smiled. Sirius gratefully pulled the cloak on with a quiet thanks and his shivering stopped after that. The night was cool, but not particularly cold, so Remus remained a relatively pleasant temperature without his cloak.

As soon as all of the first years were settled, Hagrid yelled "Forward!" and the boats all began to move at once. A few first years gasped, however Remus was not one of them this time, things moving by magic wasn't completely unexpected for him. "Gotta keep on schedule," Hagrid muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Remus wondered where exactly the group were headed next, however he knew there was no one to answer it. The sorting ceremony itself was a well-kept secret in wizarding families, besides the occasional teasing about how horrible it was. Naturally, every first year was nervous for what was to come.

Laughter dragged Remus from his thoughts, and he spun around to see James and Sirius splashing each other with water from the lake. Clearly neither had learned from the incident earlier. Remus sighed. "Guys, stop it, you're getting my robes wet!" The two laughed more and continued, although eventually they grew bored of the game.

Remus dipped his hand into the cool water, skimming it along the surface. The water lapped soothingly against his hand, and he sighed contently. The other three boys copied him, and soon all four were touching the water.

"Ahh!" Sirius yelled suddenly, causing the others to look around, "Something is pulling on my hand!" The boat began to rock as Sirius was dragged closer and closer to the water, and the other three boys leapt up. They pulled Sirius as hard as they could, but whatever was holding Sirius had a tight grip. "Hagrid!" James yelled, "Help us!" Hagrid hurried over in his boat, and fired a spell into the water from the tip of his pink umbrella, surprising them all. "Get outta 'ere!" he yelled at the dark waters. He smiled and told the boys not to touch the water again, before steering back to lead the group onwards.

By this point, the other first years were staring at the group, wondering what exactly was going on, and Remus knew he was in for an interesting year if they stayed friends - which he hoped they did. He noticed Lily and Severus in a nearby boat, alone, glaring at the group. When Lily noticed him watching, a fleeting smile crossed her face before she looked away.

Before long, the group found themselves in a low tunnel, blocking out the view of the castle. Remus reckoned they were underneath the castle itself now, although it was hard to tell as the tunnel was pitch black. After a few minutes, Remus saw a light ahead of them, and then the group of boats pulled up into a little stone harbour.

"Everyone out!" Hagrid called, before clambering out of his own boat and heading straight for a set of stone stairs. The first years quickly climbed out of the boats and followed him, wondering where they were being taken to now. At the top of the stairs, they emerged out into an open space, with the castle looming above them. Hagrid walked over to a huge, wooden door and loudly knocked on it. The door swung open, creaking loudly as it did so, and Hagrid stepped inside. The group of first years hurried after him quickly, and then the door swung shut behind them.

Inside, they found themselves in a huge entrance hall, with a large staircase ahead of them. A tall, thin woman stood in front of them, an emerald green cloak draped across her shoulders. She peered through her spectacles at them, and once they fell silent she began speaking.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said in a thick Scottish accent, "I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress. You will soon be seated at the Welcome Feast, however before that, you must be sorted into your House. Your House will be likely a family to you while at our school, so this is an important process. The four houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, and each has its own merits. The sorting process will begin soon in front of the entire school, so I think it best that you all ensure you look smart."

She smiled at the group after she was finished, putting them slightly at ease. As soon as she finished, the group burst into discussion about the sorting.

"In front of the entire school?" James said, sounding slightly amazed and slightly horrified, "I wonder what we're going to have to do?"

"It can't be too bad if everyone can watch," Sirius contributed reassuringly, as Peter looked awfully pale by this point. Remus smiled at him, and he smiled back, although it faltered fairly quickly.

"Hey Sirius, can I have my cloak back please?" Remus asked, and Sirius removed it from around his shoulders.

"Cheers, Rem."

Remus raised his eyebrow at the nickname but said nothing. Upon shrugging the cloak back around his shoulders, he was grateful for the warmth of the cloak again, and noticed that Sirius smelled pretty nice actually. However, before he could dwell on this, Professor McGonagall spoke again, "If you would like to follow me, the sorting is about to begin."

The doors to the right of the first years swung upon, and Professor McGonagall strode through, leaving the group to trail behind here.

"I can't believe this is happening," Sirius whispered into Remus' ear, "I'm really scared, but don't tell James that. He'll call me a chicken."

Remus squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, surprising them both with the contact. He had never been the type for any kind of physical contact, although he felt like it was an appropriate moment for it. Besides, Sirius really seemed to need some reassurance around now, and that was the first thing that he thought of.

The group was gradually filing into the hall by this point, and the group of four boys followed suit, joining the line. They shuffled through the door nervously, and Remus found that his breath was taken away at the sight Great Hall which lay ahead of them.


End file.
